Dairy cases



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. H. SCHRAY DAIRY CASES May 4, 1965 Filed Feb. 15 1965 INVENTOR WALTER H. SCHRAY,

ATTORNEY.

May 4, 1965 v w. H. SCHRAY DAIRY CASES Filed Feb. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

FIG. 6.

INVENTOR WALTER H. SCHRAY ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,181,723 DAIRY CASES Walter H. Schray, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to United Steel & Wire Company, Battle Creek, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 258,790 1 Claim. 01. 220-19) This invention relates to improvements in construction of dairy cases of the type known in the trade as wire milk cases.

The general object of the invention is to provide a wire milk case with corner posts so constructed as to assure snag-proof entry of sixteen quarts or nine half gallons or other groupings and sizes of milk containers into the case when delivered by automatic casers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sturdy, substantially shock proof, wire milk case containing inside and outside corner posts which will make the case chassis compatible with automatic machinery used in modern dairies such as casers, stackers, destackers, pushers, conveyer lines and the like.

Heretofore, in the dairy trade, some automatic machinery operated more efficiently with outside corner posts Whereas other machines were adapted to operate more satisfactorily when handling milk cases utilizing inside corner posts. With applicants new inside and outside corner post construction, a milk case so equipped will operate equally well with either type of automatic machinery since the case will, in essence, incorporate all of the features of both inside and outside corner posts required for trouble free handling by any type of automatic machinery normally employed in modern dairies.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire case with inside and outside corner posts which may be used with automatic machinery on conveyer lines at the same time as wooden cases designed to hold the same number of containers. As a result, applicants wire cases may be employed interchangeably with wooden cases and automatic dairy machinery will handle both types with equal facility since compatibility in actuating controls will be substantially the same in effectiveness.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a wire milk case having a corner post with a bottom,

segment and an upper segment, the bottom segment being positioned between the bottom two of a number of perimeter frame members and flush with the outer surfaces thereof. In general, it is preferred to have the bottom and upper segments formed from one piece of metal to provide an integral structure.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a wire milk case having a corner post with a bottom segment and an upper segment, the upper segment being positioned within and attached to the inner surfaces of perimeter frame members located above the bottom segment.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a wire milk case with a plurality of corner posts, each corner post having a belled bottom portion positioned between but flush with the outside dimension of two bottom frames, and an upper portion extending from the belled portion attached to the inside surfaces of upper frames, the uppermost extremity of each post being swaged over a corner of a top frame to assure snagproof entry and eliminate interference with the loading of containers'in cube unit form into the case.

A further feature resides in the provision of a milk case with a corner post having a belled bottom segment providing an outer surface to activate wire feelers on microswitches, steel finger stops, or similar mechanism used to control the automatic handling of such cases.

0 frame members 14 and to top frame member 15.

3,181,723 Patented May 4, 1965 'ice Since the plane of the formed belled segment of such corner posts is the same as the outside perimeter frame members holding it in position, such feeler or stop devices can readily pass by the case in a swinging motion without being caught between frame members.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a milk case with inside and outside corner posts so designed as to eliminate hang up or hang on of adjacent corner posts on following cases when a pusher is transferring the direction of flow of cases froma first conveyer line to a second line at an angle of ninety degreesto the first. With applicants construction the upper segments of its corner posts are behind the case frame members. The lower segment of each corner post has its outside surface flush with the case frame members. As a result there are no exposed edges of corner posts to hook onto exposed edges of corner posts of adjacent cases, when a number of cases on the line are under pressure one against the other. i

Still another feature of the inside and outside corner post structure is to provide a belled or outwardly offset lower segment in the form of a bumper. This restrains cases, under pressure on a conveyer line, from climbing or riding up on each other and thus prevents undesirable pile up as sometimes occurs when prior milk case structures are employed.

Additional features will also be apparent from the following description of a typical form of the invention in which I FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a wire milk case employing inside and outside corner posts in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an end view of one side of said milk case; 1

FIG. 3 is an upper fragmentary view of the case showing a corner post with its uppermost portion swaged over the corner of the top frame member;

FIG. 4 shows a view of applicants inside and outside corner post; 7

FIG. 5 is a section of applicants corner post on line 55 of FIG. 4; and I FIG. 6 illustrates diagrammatically how the belled,

offset lower portion of applicants corner post is designed to contact and activate a control for automatic machineryutilized in regulating the flow of travel of milk cases on a conveyer line. v

Considering the drawings, similar designations referring to similar parts, numeral 7 refers generally to a milk case having bottom stacking frame 8, outside corner posts 9, inside corner post 10, bottom perimeter frame member 11, intermediate bottom reinforcing rods 12 connected to the bottom stacking frame member 8 and at the ends thereof to bottom perimeter frame member 11. Cross bottom rods 13 are connected ata number of points to the intermediate bottom rein-forcing rods 12 and at their ends to the bottom perimeter frame member 11. p

A series of intermediate perimeter frame members 14 are in parallel relationshipwith one another and are spaced between the bottom perimeter frame member 11 and the top frame member 15. Members 14 are welded to the outer surfaces of inside corner posts 10. Bottom perimeter frame member 11 is welded to the outside surface of a bottom recessed portion 16 of each outside corner post 9. Each outside corner post 9, of offset or belled configuration, with recessed portion 16 and companion inside corner posts 10 are integral and formed from one piece of metal.

Vertical reinforcing bars 17 are connected to bottom perimeter frame member 11, intermediate perimeter As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each corner post consists of two segments integral with one another. The belled or offset lower segment A is called an outside corner post. It is positioned between bottom perimeter frame member 11 and the lowermost of the intermediate perimeter frame members 14; and segment A is flush with the outer surfaces of said frame members, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. The upper segment B is called an inner corner post. Said upper segment is positioned within and attached to the inner surfaces of intermediate perimeter frame members 14 as well'as top frame member 15.- The uppermost extremity 18 of each inside corner post is swaged over a corner oftop' frame member as best shown in FIGS. 1 and'3. The corner posts are preferably provided with strengthening beads 19.

The swaged-over construction of the inside corner posts in combination with the top frame member assures snag free entry of containers in cube unit form into the case. And the strong frame and corner post welded-together combination retains the square opening regardless of heavy and rough usage.

Lower segment A of'each corner post presents an outermost surface which is usually in the same plane as the outer extremities of bottom, intermediate, and top frame member-s11, 14 and 15 respectively. If desired,- it may be formed to protrude beyond such plane and constitute a surface slightly projecting beyond the outer planes of the four vertical sides of the case although this is not necessary and for efficient operation the outer surface of the outside corner posts need only be flush with a vertical plane in line with the outer extremities of said frame members. The provision of such outside corner posts assures improved automatic handling of milk cases. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer surface of belled bottom segment A' readily activates contact member 20 of a switch or control mechanism generally illustrated at 21. The use of wire feelers on microswitches, finger stops, or similar mechanism used to control the automatic handling of cases is well known. But much trouble has in the past been encountered in activating such device which applicants belled or offset outside corner post now eliminates. Since the plane of such belled or offset segment is the same as the outside perimeter frame members holding it in position, the feeler or stop devices can readily pass by the case without being caught but with assurance of positive contact.

In handling milk cases on conveyors generally designatedlby numeral 22 in FIG. 6, old' style milk cases following one another on a conveyor had a tendency to hang up because adjacent corner posts with exposed edges sometimes caught and engaged one another. With applicants belled or offset outside corner posts there are no exposed edges of corner posts. Such edges are inside the outer plane of segment A and adjoining frame member 11 and 14. Hence no edges can hook or engage an adjacent case and this is especially advantageous in practical operation when a number of cases on the line are pushed together and hence are under pressure one against the other.

Furthermore, the belled or offset outside corner post is in the nature of a bumper and restrains cases under pressure on a conveyor line from climbing or riding up on each other.

The. combination of outside and inside corner posts in an integral one piece structure enables cases to push one another on a conveyor line without snagging, with no distortion in the square character of the case and with complete elimination of hanging up of adjacent corner posts even when the line of travel proceeds from one conveyor line to another at an angle of ninety degrees.

Moreover, the provision of applicants comer posts with outside belled segments is highly advantageous in that it enables applicants wire cases to be used on the same filling line with old wood box cases. Many dairies still use wood box cases with square edges. Applicants wire case with its outer belled corner surfaces has the same apron (adjacent bottom) dimension as the outside dimension of a Wood box of the same capacity. As a result, timing devices of the kind represented by numerals 20, 21, will be actuated effectively yet accurately even though wire cases and old Wooden cases are intermingled on the conveyor line. This could not be accomplished if such devices were activated by an inside corner post, because the timing sequence would be thrown off due to a difference in outside dimension which applicant has overcome by his novel two segment corner post construction with offset lower segment. I

The offset or belled segment A enables applicant to provide a Wire case with an outside dimension of a corresponding wood case while at the same time maintaining a proper inside dimension to accommodate the desired pack of containers.

It will be understood that the features and advantages of the invention may be obtained despite modifications of the elements of applicants case as specifically described in connection with the illustrative drawings.

I claim:

An upwardly opening, rectangular case, comprising:

a plurality of substantially identical, rectangular and wire-like frame members arranged in spaced and substantially parallel relationship; four similar, transversely curved and relatively thin corner posts disposed in upright positions along the inner surfaces of the corners of said frame members, each corner post having an offset portion projecting into the space between the two lowermost frame members, the offset portions forming at their upper and lower ends shoulders disposed snugly adjacent said two lowermost frame members, the part of each corner post located above said offset portion being inwardly of plural frame members, said offset portions extending at least to the planes definedby the outer surfaces of the adjacent elements of said frame members; a

a bottom wall having a plurality of spaced rod elements arranged substantially parallel-with said frame elements of said frame members; and

a plurality of side bars secured to most of said frame members and extending substantially parallel with said corner posts from said bottomwall to the uppermost frame member, said side bars being arranged between and spaced from adjacent posts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,856,093 10/58 Bruce 220l9 2,968,418 1/61 Stoddard 220l9 FOREIGN PATENTS 519,268 5/53 Belgium.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

